Roman Coin Identification

Well, there are many thousands of varieties of Roman coins, especially in the later empire. At the highest level, you have different designs and emperors, but then for each emperor there are different busts, legend breaks, mint marks and field marks. Each number you are coming across represents one of these permutations.

Usually these differences are of very little significance or value, with some exceptions (such as rare mints, busts etc). The bust you have here, for example, does carry a small premium.

Heres its full description:
Constantine II
CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C
BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS
VO - TIS - XX
dot STR crescent
RIC VII Trier 410 var (bust type) <---This is the reference number, which you had correct (except the Var)
Rarity: R4 (Very Rare)
Year: 323

The rarity rating means very little here - they minted so many different permutations of this. The design itself is common and the bust is easily found too, it just so happens that this combination is rare. The numbering system can barely cope - Trier 410 actually covers 3 different busts (and so has 3 different rarity ratings), so if you find a picture of the type coin, it may not even be the same design as yours, let alone the same die.

To give you an idea of the numbers we're talking about here, Helvetica lists 2355 varieties of the Fallen Horseman design.

I don't own any roman coin books, I found a coin that looks a lot like mine at Wildwinds, so I'm quite surprised I nailed it. Thank you, Ben, for all of that information. I kind of got lucky on this coin, I am usually quite frustrated trying to find anything that matches exactly, front and back.

@thryan9

I thought you had been using RIC VII. Now that you mention Wildwinds, I get it. Wildwinds is based on Sear 1988 for Late Roman Bronze. Since the single volume of Sear is nowhere near as complete as the multi-volume RIC they had to double up on entries. You should also know that when the late Dave Surber put Wildwinds together in the first place, he was taking reports from all over the place to get examples of whatever. Can't say for sure how well that has all cleaned up, but as an authority it is not to be compared with RIC itself.

I am not yet familiar with Helvetica, but I want to find out why they are adding varieties to individual RIC listings. Maybe it's new finds, or maybe something else.

I just took a good look at the xls file for the Beata Tranquilitas module, and I like what I am seeing. They have extended the list of bust types significantly, and with attested examples even from people I know. This is very nice, and should make the next generation of RIC, in whatever form it takes, more comprehensive than ever. Too bad there isn't a collection of photos for all these obverses. Or is there?

Thanks for the heads up on Helvetica.